Greed, arrogance and the 'feel-goods'

Posted Monday, October 6, 2008, at 1:40 PM

The caller to the Times-Gazette newsroom got to his point quickly.

"I'm an electrician and I haven't been able to find a job in three years," he said. "You (speaking of the newspaper in general) run all these feel-good stories. Why don't you run more stories about the economy?"

The reason for the perceived lack of economically-related stories is that the decisions driving those problems come from Wall Street and Washington. We concentrate on local news.

And we need 'feel-good stories,' most of which involve individuals or groups caring for others, when times are bad.

But I'm not downplaying the caller's plight. He's just another of a growing number of victims.

Where will America -- and Shelbyville -- be economically in a month, or six months, or whenever, from now? I wonder, but what drove some of those problems was highly on display in Washington today.

Example: Lehman Brothers executives who pocketed huge bonuses as the company was speeding toward collapse -- and their attitudes that they deserved every penny. A House committee harshly grilled one executive.

Example: Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, now on trial, who allegedly received massive gifts, including $250,000 in renovations on a cabin, from a pipeline company.

That's greed and arrogance, and a graphic example of the difference between the "feel-good" people and the attitude-bearers.

Many powerful executives and too many politicians are out for themselves with no concern for anyone else.

The "feel-good" people care about others -- and, if they were in control of the economy, the electrician probably would have a job.

Unfortunately, arrogance rules. Maybe it's time for Americans to stand up and somehow, someway, get grounded, well-adjusted people back in charge of things.

I agree . . . there are never enough feel good stories in the news. It seems all I see in the news is about the conomy and jobs leaving the country. It is very depressing so if someone wants to run a story on good samaritans or puppies then so be it . . . I need a smile once in a while.

-- Posted by jaxspike on Mon, Oct 6, 2008, at 3:02 PM

And when the stories aren't talking about the economy or the high rate of unemployment, the stories are talking about someone being killed or robbed or just some kind of violent non sense. And things are getting so bad, that you hear about more people being scammed out of hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. It's scary to me. Makes me wonder how much more this country can take. And how much more will happen.

-- Posted by candasons07 on Mon, Oct 6, 2008, at 4:45 PM

Unfortunately bad times bring out the worst in people and we see the worst in humanity but hopefully there will be those that shine above it all and remind us what is good and just in the world.